The Viewer

This image is a close up of an interactive installation called The Viewer, which consists of a virtual viewer situated in front of the real viewer, and deals with the visualization and comprehension strategies of the work of art. It presents an interactive device that establishes a relation of visual communication with the audience, showing how the viewer acts in relation to the art piece. The Viewer deals with the artwork-viewer communication through a direct and simple, but at the same time extreme interaction, as the only activity the virtual viewer performs is to observe the public around him, controlling them visually, reproducing audience behavior. The project tries to invert the usual artwork-viewer relation, being in this case the piece who watches the audience, making them become aware of their own behavior. The Viewer was created as part of the 3D Modeling class within my work in the MFA program of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at UIC. Last year it was presented at the MOVE New Media Art Fair in Spain where it could be seen by thousands of visitors with very interesting results. More information and images can be seen at http://www.playthemagic.com/theviewer.